Elton John Vegas show film to beam in theaters

The Million Dollar Piano, Elton John's concert extravaganza regularly plays to audiences at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Now it has been captured on film for a worldwide-engagement at cinemas across the globe.

CinemaLive, in association with Rocket Music Entertainment Group, Fathom Events, Yamaha Entertainment Group of America and Universal Music bring this concert event to cinemas for two nights in the US, on March 18 & 26.

The concert will be shown in an expected 500 theaters across the US and 1,200 in over 40 countries including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and Australia.

Tickets will be available to the public at participating theater box offices and online at fathomevents.com starting on Friday, Feb. 14.

The concert includes all of Elton's greatest hits from throughout his career including 'Rocket Man', 'Tiny Dancer', 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting', 'I'm Still Standing', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', 'Philadelphia Freedom' and 'Your Song'.

Creatively the show has a baroque, Roman-inspired golden stage that transforms itself to reflect the personality of each song. At the centerpiece of the concert is the show's namesake custom-made Yamaha one-million-dollar piano ($1.4 million, to be exact) featuring more than 68 LED screens incorporated into the design of the piano. When Elton first saw it, he cried.

"I look at it as a piece of art; I'm playing something that will go in the Smithsonian," he says. "This idea of a piano with LED screens...it becomes cinema!"

Translating the concert to the big screen was the next obvious step, as John and longtime collaborator, lyricist Bernie Taupin, create songs that are epic stories - and by incorporating the piano as part of those stories John is able to translate that both musically and visually. The concert is glamorous, elegant and over the top ("it IS Vegas," says Elton).

Accompanied by his band, The Million Dollar Piano showcases the talents of John, guitarist Davey Johnstone, the late Bob Birch on bass, percussionist John Mahon, drummer Nigel Olsson and keyboardist Kim Bullard, with a special appearance by percussionist Ray Cooper.

Completing the incredible spectacle is the show's impressive and elaborate baroque-style stage set, masterminded by the show's design team, the late Mark Fisher and Patrick Woodroffe. Fisher (best known for his design of Pink Floyd's "The Wall," and his work designing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics) and Woodroffe conceived and designed the lights display that augments the set and piano.

Film selections:

The Bitch is Back

Bennie and the Jets

Rocket Man

Levon

piano excerpt "Planes"

piano excerpt "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"

Tiny Dancer

Your Song

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

Better Off Dead

Indian Sunset

Blue Eyes

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me

Philadelphia Freedom

I'm Still Standing

Crocodile Rock

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

Circle of Life